Holy fame and glory, Batman!

Local artist Dominic Vivona could be the next big thing in the comic book industry — but he's still waiting to find out.

Since May, writers and artists from 26 countries have been vying to become the winners of the 2007 Comic Book Challenge, hoping to receive a coveted publication contract with Platinum Studios.

The panel of judges has narrowed down the hundreds of thousands of entries to three finalists — which include the comic by Vivona and his partner, writer Jorge Vega. Their entry, "Gunplay," is a dark and gritty Wild West tale of wanderer Abner Meeks, a Buffalo Soldier in possession of a cursed gun.

"The gun wants Abner to take a human soul every day," said the 30-year-old Vivona. "But Abner struggles not to kill anyone. It's a pretty dark story, obviously meant for adult readers.

"Jorge set the story in 1870 and made the lead character an African American, which lends itself to all kinds of intriguing situations and commentary on the era."

The winners of the Comic Book Challenge, sponsored by AT&T, will be announced Aug. 28. You can monitor the competition online or vote for your favorite entry at www.comicbookchallenge.com.

Vivona said landing a contract with Platinum Studios is major because breaking into the comic book industry can be at least as difficult as getting a novel published.

"The comic book industry is very small and tight-knit," he said. "There's a lot of talent out there, but that's not what gives you an advantage. Networking is one of the most important things, getting to know people in the business.

"A contract gives you entry into a very competitive industry," Vivona said. "And the prestige doesn't hurt, either."

The self-taught artist, who originally hails from upstate New York and moved to Lancaster in 1991, used beautiful, sepia-toned images to depict Vega's story, hoping to capture the old-timey feel of the American West during the 1800s.

"I wanted the illustrations to look like a wanted poster come to life," said Vivona, who admires the work of "Hellboy" artist Mike Mignola and "Sin City" creator Frank Miller. "But I also wanted it to be very textured and have a quasi-realistic feel.

"I did have to do some research," Vivona said. "At first, I didn't know anything about Buffalo Soldiers or what their uniforms looked like. And looking into that particular time and place has been fascinating."

Heroes in cowboy hats and leather chaps are few and far between when compared to those of the spandex-and-cape variety. But that doesn't mean readers wouldn't welcome a new entry in the western-horror genre.

D.C. Comics' surly cowboy "Jonah Hex" (at one time drawn by Lancaster artist Tim Truman) has been running since 1972.

Geof Darrow, creator of "Shaolin Cowboy" also has received praise from readers in addition to three Eisner Award nominations. Each issue even contains opening dialogue by none other than Larry and Andy Wachowski — the directors of "The Matrix."

"I think readers will respond to the comic, because Jorge's concept is exceptional," Vivona said. "We work well together, too — though it's usually by cell phone or e-mail (Vega lives in New England). His vision of 'Gunplay' is precise, but if I have visual input, he's open to it.

"We're not prima donnas," he said. "People like that don't last long in the comic book biz.

"We met back in May at a comic convention in Pittsburgh," Vivona said. "And we just recognized the good heart in each other. That's how it works in this business; making friends and staying in touch is important."

And in the meantime, Vivona said, he's hooked up with a local group of publishers, writers and artists known as High Noon — which will publish its first anthology in about four weeks.

Vivona also currently works at the Lancaster Arts Hotel during the third shift.

"It's OK, because I'm a night person and the atmosphere is nice and quiet — as you could guess," he said. "And the hotel happens to be beautiful."

In 1993, Vivona moved to California and stayed for 10 years.

"But I was working to just pay the rent and got away from what I really wanted to do," he said. "I decided to come back where I can be more grounded.

"And if Jorge and I win the Comic Book Challenge, we won't be forced to move to where the work is — because you can create comics from anywhere, as long as you have a phone and a modem."

It also doesn't hurt that the grand prize winners will also receive $3,000 in Toon Boom Solo Animation software and a $370 Wacom Intuos graphics tablet, among other things.

"You get to be published," Vivona said. "If we win, we get to work in this industry, and gain enough credit to eventually work on other projects and freelance on a grand scale."

He said last year's winner, D.J. Coffman, has gotten a lot of attention for his winning entry, "Hero by Night."

"Getting a reputation is very important," he said. "And Jorge and I would like nothing better."

When asked about his chances of winning, the artist smiled.

"I think our chances are excellent," Vivona said. "We've been thinking of the actors who should play all the characters in 'Gunplay.' That's getting ahead of ourselves maybe — but I hope not."

E-mail: cdifonzo@lnpnews.com